Dangers of Travel

Ahhh... basking in the sun on Railay Beach. What a beautiful spot. How things change so quickly.

This is blog entry number 2 and only week 2 and somehow so much has happened since the last entry that it is hard to know where to begin.

Now, I think the following deserves a little pre-warning: don't get too worried!

I am writing this from Bangkok Hospital in Ko Samui which I am getting to know very very well. Chris came down with a very high fever in Ko Tao and we have spent the last 2 nights here in Ko Samui. Chris has been in the hospital both nights. The hospital staff seems good and they are running a lot of tests but overall, there is no definate answer. Likely Chris has manged to pick up some sort of travellers infection carried by bugs, perhaps mixed with a little Dengue Fever to even it all out.

For a little reassurance, check out the banner below posted in Ko Tao. I don't know if you can read it but it says "probably the best hospital... you can trust" at the bottom:

Here is Chris before the ferry ride over to Ko Samui. Check out his IV hanging from the post:

Chris is still not 100% and we will likely be here for at least another 5 days. His fever comes and goes but not nearly has high as the first day and generally he is in amazing spirits for the situation. He is such a strong man it is ridiculous. I get full reign over this journal entry because they have an IV in each arm and until they take one out he is basically confined to his bed. Likely he'll be up and about later tonight or tomorrow.

Now....although our life centres around Chris and making sure he gets better fast, so much great stuff has happened before the hospitalization I can't neglect the rest of our trip.

Here are some pictures from the last night of buckets and ridiculous fun on Ko Phi Phi.

Yes, that is connect four:
This was at a thai kickboxing ring. However entertaining the fighters were and they crazy fighting tourist, we mostly were just into ourselves and our graffiti wall:

Below are pictures of Railay and Ton Sai Beaches - paradise for the average person, I can't imagine how amazing it must be for the climbing crowd that flocks to the cliffs. This is where we said a slightly teary good-bye to Sarah and Andrew as they continued their journey onto Australia.

Our first sunset:

Long boat at Railay:
Chris at Railay:

Me at Ton Sai - half hour hike from Railay:

From Railay we went to Ko Lanta but it was mostly resorts and we were staying on Garbage Beach #2, so we left the next day for Ko Tao which required a full day and night of travel to get to. We took a small van (there was only one other couple in the van- something we got tricked into buying instead of the standard bus ticket), followed by an overnight boat to Ko

Tao.

Our Lonely Planet had said it was a "must-do" to take the overnight boat as everyone slept on a mat and by morning you were there. I don't think the writers for the Lonely Planet took the same boat because sleeping wasn't much of an option. The vibrations of engine were absolutely jarring and the ocean was so wild, neither Chris or I were sure we weren't going to go completely over. I think there was some movie called "the storm" where there is a boat flailing around the middle of the sea. It felt something like that.

Ko Tao was lovely and we were glad to be there. The atmosphere was cool. Locals seemed to be friends with the travellers who had really made a home for themselves on the island, usually drawn in by the diving.

Our last night in Ko Tao at a drag show - very fun. Suddenly my birks and lack of eye make-up was completely out of place:

Although we have no pictures, before the drag show Chris and I had a spectacular day. We started off with yoga, spent a few hours diving our first coral reef and ended with a spectacular meal of indian food which had a salivating for our trip to India. Diving was amazing and our dive master was really good getting into nooks and crannys to show us eels and box fish. The coral was really cool and even the most basic sea life was incredibly impressive to both Chris and I. Our trip was ended a little short on Ko Tao when I woke up to find Chris blazing hot and a few hours later no better. We weren't planning on coming to Ko Samui, but hey, what's another island to check off the list? ;)

Missing everyone,

Emily

Ko Phi Phi - First Island, First Adventure

Sa-wat-dee!

Sarah, Andrew, Chris and I have just dived into the nearest internet cafe as the skies have opened into an monsoon downpour. This is our first major rain of the trip!

We flew, taxied and ferried to our final destination of Ko Phi Phi in the south of Thailand arriving 3 days after our Vancouver departure.

Despite it being rainy season we have had sun and hot days on the beach with adventures in Kayaking yesterday to Monkey Bay where vicious monkeys attacked our kayak and belongings. Chris even got a slap from one of the monkeys for hording bananas! Bad Chris! Unforunately we don't have any pics to prove it as the monkeys would have made off with our cameras had we attempted to take a shot.

Next we kayaked over to a small bay we named "Garbage Beach." Garbage Beach doesn't quite give you the full idea as the bay had some of the most picturesque scenery we had ever seen, surrounded by gorgeous tropical cliffs and white sand. Unfortunately, there was also a lot of garbage there.

Generally on Phi Phi the water is warm and gorgeous for swimming, the sounds of construction show the growing prosperity and the running of monkeys on our bungalow's tin roof indicates that the wildlife is thriving.

Here are a few shots to give you a feel for our adventures!


Singapore Airport - tired of travel, Chris says "get that camera outta my face!"

At Bangkok Airport - waiting for flight to Krabi. Even the local beer was expensive there!
Ahhhh... beach on Ko Phi Phi. Time for relaxation.
Thai Food ... amazing.
Coffee.... pretty, but not so tasty.
View from Garbage Beach - Andrew snorkeling.

First journal entry in Bungalow.

View from Bungalow.

Sarah and Andrew - total tourist... look at that Thai bucket full of booze!

Ok, ok ... we were right there with them.

Miss everyone already and wish you were here!

Love,

Em and Chris

The Big Day of Departure

Ahhh, beautiful BC mornings, how we will miss you (as well as all of our friends and family - love you guys!).

This is it... the big day of departure. We get on a flight today at 2pm with Sarah and Andrew to fly via Seoul, via Singapore, via Bangkok to our final destination: Krabi Thailand. Can you believe it? We can't!

We had our last sleep in our own bed, I'm drinking my last latte made at home and we will say our last good-bye's at the airport. Not to sound too corny but.... here we come world!

Here are a few shots from last night's going away family party. A bittersweet sunny afternoon: